Transformed
by Lycan Princess
Summary: Allie went through a tough childhood;she came to the conclusion that love just wasn't in the cards for her, until she met Sidney Crosby. But there love for each other isn't as easy as it seems; in the end, they realize who and what love is.:
1. Chapter 1

Allie is my name. It is as plain and as simple as I am. That's how I introduce myself, "Hi my name is Allie Drew. I am as plain and simple as my name so fuck off." I'm kidding. I would never grow the courage to say that to anyone and that bugs me. I could make a list of things that bug me, that grind my gears. But even if I did, I wouldn't do anything about it. Leave the list on my counter and go on with my life. Then maybe notice a couple of weeks later and end up throwing it out. On that list would be death, divorce, and distance. The triple D's that stop me from living a normal life. Look at me; I am 21 and already complaining about my gloomy life.

Life hasn't been easy. I have made it through my childhood with cuts and bruises and information planted in my brain that shouldn't have been fertile for a while. It all started when we moved to Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia when I was 14. My dad was let go of his job and my mom thought it would be a magnificent idea to open up a restaurant in Nova Scotia to pay the bills. She soon realized that even though Nova Scotia is known for its inshore fishing it doesn't mean a fish and chips restaurant would do well. The decision to move from Alberta to Nova Scotia and open up a restaurant sums up my mother; foolish and reckless. A year goes by and the restaurant is for sale along with my parent's relationship. The responsibility of the restaurant and the need to take care of me, my younger brother James and my two older sisters Sadie and Courtney slowly ate away at their bond. I was 16 when their divorce was made official.

I moved in with my mom and brother a month later. Most kids blame themselves for their parents split but I knew it wasn't my fault; it was my parent's lack of responsibility and reliability that separated my family. My two sisters went with my dad back to Alberta where he remarried a young waitress and produced a baby girl named Olive. My mom, James and I stayed in Nova Scotia where we rarely spoke. My mom would bring a man by the house once or twice a month. This man was tall, wreaked of whiskey, and paid our bills. James is 8 years younger than me and thought this tall man we called 'Hulk' was the cable man but I knew well enough that this was the man my mother stayed with just to put food on our tables. There were days where we would go without food, water, and electricity. Those were the days when mom would be fired from her job. At first, she found a job at a local supermarket cleaning toilets and sweeping floors but was soon let off because of the economy. Then she would later find a job as a waitress and once again be fired. Finally, my mom was the proud owner of a headset, apron and McDonalds name tag.

Having a mother working at McDonalds and a dad off in Alberta humping a young waitress was not something I wanted the students at school to find out. But it was bound to happen and as soon as the rumours of my mom being a hooker spread across the halls, I lost every friend I made in the past three years and gained the reputation as _Poor Girl_. But let me tell you, it was a joy to see the letter in the mail letting me know that I would graduate from Auburn Drive High School and go straight to the University of King's College. The day of the exciting news of my acceptance to college was the day my older sister Courtney had twelve shots of tequila and unsuccessfully drove her friend's home. The impact of the truck killed everyone in the car instantly. The news of my sister's death was what sent me over the edge. I could not wait to escape my atmosphere. Luckily my dad saved up the money and shipped it over to send me to college. I felt bad leaving my 10 year old brother with my mom but I had to escape and do something I love to do which is Journalism. It was my plan ever since I was younger, to attend a university in Alberta and get a degree in journalism. But when we moved, it turned my whole life around and left me without a life blueprint.

Three years at college and I am back at home with an older mom and a more mature brother. My mom prances around the house in her pink and red rob and her fuzzy monkey slippers. My brother stays outside for hours shooting a puck against the garage door; leaving black dents everywhere. And I spend most of my time in my room blasting the music, watching old news reports. I am not going to get a job in Nova Scotia but I don't have enough money to get my ass out of this place. That is when I got the idea to get my tortured self and my brother out of this boring home and go to a local ice rink. The ice rink was located next to the travel agency that would soon go out of business. I grabbed my bag, my hat, mittens and boots and started the car. I told my brother to bring his worn out skates and helmet and get in the vehicle. My brother was up for anything now days. I remember when he was the shy, reserved little boy but he is now loud and forceful.

Seeing the youngsters pass around the puck calmed me down. Something about the game of hockey really seemed to tranquil all my thoughts and make all the bad in the world subside. I didn't know how to skate; I didn't even know how to hold a stick properly. I wasn't interested in learning the sport as much as James. Poor kid had to skate on used skates and wear my dad's old helmet from the 80's. His curly brown hair would seep through the edges and his rosy cheeks would grow redder with each hour but he loved to skate even if he were skating on figure skates, he would do it with a grin spreading from ear to ear. I yelled onto the ice that I would be a few minutes and made my way towards the exit. I opened the heavy doors with one hand and put on my hat with the other. The door shut all the way when I felt the tug on my bag. I tried to brush it off and move forward but the tug on my bag pulled my back. I spun around to realize that my bag was still in the arena and the handles of the brown bag were between the metal doors. I looked around the door for handles but all I found was an aluminum sign with big yellow letters saying, 'Cannot enter. Exit only.' "Shit" I muttered while trying to claw my way through the door. I let my eyes explore the outside of the ice rink in search of people but everyone was inside. "Come on, not today. Please not today" I pleaded with the door hoping it would magically open and give me my brown bag. I kicked the door once, twice, three times but no one came to my rescue. I began to think, what if I died trying to get a hold of my hand bag? I immediately brushed that thought because, once again, my mind went straight to tragedy instead of reality. I kept my left hand clamped on my bag, brushed my hair out of my face and began to pull. Surprised that the bag didn't tare under the pressure, I placed my left foot on the door and continued to pull. How could no one notice a bag moving up and down the crease of a door for God's sake!

I continued the never-ending struggle to retrieve the bag that held my belongings when I heard a car pull up not too far behind me. I twisted my neck to see that it was an expensive car; the ones you see in the movies. The driver's door opened and a young man stepped out of the car in jeans and a blue sweater. This young man had dark brown hair with one or two curls escaping from his tuque. The passenger's side door opened as well and another young man exited the vehicle, but this young man was in black track pants and a red jacket. They shut the doors and made their way towards me. "Need help?" the curly haired one smiled with his rounded lips and hazel eyes. I quickly shattered my stare into his eyes with the snap of my head and returned to looking at my bag helplessly. "I seemed to have closed the doors on my bag." I gave him a weak smile and tugged at the bag. "Ah I see," he gave his friend a glare and nodded his head. Curly hair made his way towards the main doors of the rink and disappeared into the revolving doors. "Hi, I'm Marc" he extended his hand towards me and I shook it with my right hand, refusing to let go of my bag. "Hello Marc, I'm Allie." We exchanged looks and returned the attention on the doors that were slowly separating. My bag was released from the clutches of the metal door and I could not be happier. I looked up to find curly hair holding the doors open for me to retrieve my bag. Marc began to laugh while I brought my bag to my chest and clutched it. "Thank you so much. I literally saw my whole life flash before my eyes while trying to rescue my bag." I said with a massive smile on my face. Both of the men chuckled with their hands in their pockets. "How did you get your bag caught in the door anyways?" Marc's French accent was the first thing I noticed from his question then after a few moments I figured I should respond with what I thought happened, "I was going somewhere close by for a few minutes and when I tried to open the doors that are too heavy for humans, I guess I didn't salvage my bag fast enough and it became a victim of these monstrous gates." When I finished my explanation, I immediately regretted it because of how childish it made me sound. Curly hairs laugh came to my rescue and made me feel less of a dork.

"Anyways, I'm Allie" I said while I extended my hand towards curly hair. "Sidney." He shook my hand with his and held onto it for longer than expected from a stranger. The look on his face gave it away that he also knew that this handshake went on for way too long. He pulled his hand away and let it fall to his side. "Are you guys from around here?" It was an obvious question with an obvious answer. No one here owns cars like that. Marc smiled at me and pointed his thumb at Sidney, "He is." "Oh really?" I was honestly surprised and couldn't hide it in my voice. "I grew up here." His smile stayed glued on his face with whatever he said. With every muscle in my body I tried to restrict myself from smiling but the sight of his grin, all I could do was smile. We were two strangers smiling like fools at each other. I could see Marc inching towards the entrance leaving Sidney and I here smiling at each other. "I better get inside and check on my brother," I whispered more to myself than anyone else. "Brother?" "Yea, my brother James is in love with hockey and I had to get him away from the house and onto ice. He was putting holes in the garage doors with all the missed shots on net." We both laughed at the thought of a young boy practicing hockey when all he was really doing was damaging the house. "So, where were you headed when the 'monstrous gates' closed on your bag?" he asked as we made our way to the entrance. I pointed to the small, damaged building not too far from the rink, "There. It's one of those local travel agencies." "Going somewhere?" he asked with, of course, a smile across his face. I smiled back and decided to save him the details, "Just hoping to get out of Nova Scotia in the next couple of years." We were past the revolving doors and inside the ice rink before he could ask why.

James was still on the ice playing with the other kids and their Reebok skates and two hundred dollar equipment. I smiled at the thought of me being able to afford all the gear needed to become a great hockey player for James. "Hey, Sid! Check this change room out." Marc was half way in the room when Sid left my side and went into the change room. I walked up to the glass, rested my hands and bag on the edges of the wall and continued to watch James enjoy himself. I could recognize James' friends as each one of them got the puck. First was Luke, second was my brother, third was Rob and fourth was Rachel; the only girl on the ice. Once they passed the puck to each other a few times, more and more people went on the ice; mostly kids. I looked over at the boys change room to see a crowd of people jamming their way into the tiny space. There were flashes of light and waving of papers and pens. This was unusual. The crowd of people didn't seem to distract the kids on ice, so I felt safe knowing my brother wouldn't get crushed trying to see what it was all about; doesn't mean I wasn't going to find out. I took a few strides until I reached the massive crowd. "Can I have your autograph?" "Picture please!" "My son loves you!" "My daughter wants to marry you!" I got onto my tippy toes to see who they were shouting at. I managed to get a glimpse of the back side of the origin of this non sense, but I was pushed away instantly by an older gentleman. Once I got my balance from being pushed, I asked a familiar looking woman who was standing not too far from the crowd, "What's all this about?" She gave me a glare that made me feel like a lesser being. "Sidney Crosby and Marc-Andre Fleury," she continued after realizing I needed more explanation. "You know, Sid the Kid from the Pittsburgh Penguins and the goalie." My eyes widened along with my jaw. "You're kiddin'?" "Don't think I am."

"What are they doing here? Shouldn't they be in Pittsburgh?" The woman chuckled and placed her hand on her large belly. "The seasons over sweetheart," She continued to laugh at what I thought was a reasonable question. I brought my attention back to the now empty ice. I scoped the whole arena, looking for James. "James, you little bugger, where did you go?" I tried searching for him with my eyes in the crowd but saw nothing. Before I could reach panic mode, he exited the enormous crowd with a piece of paper in his hands. I ran to James, "Buddy you can't just pile into crowds without telling me," I hunched over to see what he had in his hands. It was a little card with a picture of Sidney holding a hockey stick, ready to play. And on the card was a signature in blue magic marker. "Where did you get this?" James had this gigantic grin across his face as he tried to explain; looked as if he was star struck. "Uh, dad sent it-uh-a year, I think, ago and umm...Sidney Crosby just signed it." He finally took his eyes off the card to look into mine. "How did you manage to get to the front of the crowd?" I rested my hand on his helmet and listened to his exaggerated story. "...and then I finally managed to push this 700 pound man out of the way and get to Sidney where he was more than happy to sign it." "I am so proud of you," I managed to say without bursting out laughing. "Are you ready to go home?" "Can we go get something to eat?" "Didn't you just eat an hour ago?" His rosy cheeks subsided as his stomach began to twist and turn. "I'm a growing boy, I need my food." I laughed and continued towards the exit.

* * *

I watched as he jammed twenty fries into his mouth at once. "You know, you should be careful, you could choke." His attention was still on digesting the fries when the pale waitress placed the tab on the corner of the marble table. "Let me pay," he said with a full mouth. "With what? Monopoly money? I don't think so and don't talk with your mouth full." I looked to my right and then to my left and slowly felt panic scurry through my veins. James noticed the drastic change in my emotions and tried to ask what was wrong but began to cough on fries. "My bag," I whispered kicking under the table, hoping it was beside our feet. "What?" the coughing stopped and it seemed as if the tab grew larger and larger. Was it in the car? No, I would have grabbed it if it was. I gasped when I realized where I had left it. "I left it at the rink." I said with my hands over my mouth. "Smart-""Shut up!" James started to laugh uncontrollably at the sight of his sister panicking; what a lovely brother. "Okay James we are going to do something I do not recommend in the future okay?" He looked at me with eyes of confusion. "When I say run, I mean run!" His eyes were filled with joy when he realized what I was talking about. He downed his cherry soda and got into position. "Ready, set...run!" We got up, grabbed our jackets and headed out the door. "Hurry!" I shouted as we reached the car. I could hear the pale waitress cursing at us as we drove away. "That was fun!" James was practically jumping up and down when I had to tell him to calm down. "I don't want you to ever do that again. This was an emergency, it wasn't for fun!" he sat still the whole ride. I pulled into the parking lot of the arena and was pleased to see that there was practically no one here. I let out a breath of relief and opened the door, "Promise me you won't move," He purposely froze and nodded his head, "I promise. Hey, if Sidney is in there tell him I say 'Hi.'""He isn't in there." I got out of the car and ran towards the exit. "Run Forest-""James!" I stopped in my tracks and looked back at the boy in the car. He positioned himself back on the seat.

I closed the distance between the entrance and me by sprinting. I bolted through the revolving doors and started towards the ice. It wasn't there. "Crap" I muttered trying to catch my breath. Face palm seemed like the only good way to regain my strength and head to the car. "Looking for something?" I twisted my body to see Sidney leaning against the change room door with my brown bag dangling from his left hand and a grin slowly growing on his face. I let out a breath of relief and a gasp of joy soon after. I ran to him and received my bag. "Thank you so much," I said looking into his hazel eyes. "Your very welcome," he returned the stare. "Twice," I whispered. "Pardon?" "You've saved my bag twice in one day, that's pretty impressive." His laugh seemed to lighten up my mood. "Do you think you can do me a favour?" I asked after minutes of silence past by. "Anything," he smiled and took a few steps closer to me. "My brother is apparently a fan of yours and he would be ecstatic if you were to say hi to him in person," I could see the disappointment in his eyes once he realized the favour was aimed towards my brother instead of me. "Sure," Sidney and I exited the arena and went towards my car.

I could see James distracted by the radio and totally oblivious to the fact that his hero was two inches from his window. I tapped on his window and he jumped but he situated himself once he saw who I was with. His jaw dropped and his eyes widened. Me and Sidney laughed at the young boy and signalled for him to roll down the window. James struggled with opening the window fast enough but when the glass that blocked Sidney and I from James was gone, I just stood there and watched my brother stare at Sidney in bewilderment. "Hi," Sidney extended his hand towards my brother. James took his hand with his right and placed his left on his forehead. I laughed and said, "This is my brother James." James let go of Sidney's hand and continued to stare. "Well, this was productive. Say bye to Sidney, James." James' mouth moved but nothing came out. I chuckled and followed Sidney as he moved away from the vehicle. "Sorry for that, he is usually a lot more talkative than that." "That's okay" He sighed as his body shifted closer to mine. With most cases, I would move my body away from the person as soon as they got into my personal space but with Sidney it was different; I didn't mind him standing this close to me. He smelt good; very good actually. She was distracted by his Calvin Klein scent and began to look him up and down. He was wearing expensive, blue jeans that would fade around the knees and pockets. His blue sweater really caught her attention because it had dark blue writing across his built chest that wrote, 'Reebok'. She made her way to his face. He had full lips and a gorgeous white smile. But of course, his hazel eyes that were rimmed with black eye lashes made her heart beat a mile a minute. She could see one or two curls escape from under his dark blue toque and caress his forehead.

"Would you like to go get a coffee with me sometime?" he scratched the back of his scalp with his right hand and pulled off his hat with his left. I looked into his eyes, "You want to have coffee with me?" He dropped his eyes and whispered, "If you don't want to that's fine-""I'd love to." His head shot up to look into my eyes. "Great. Cold Coffee?" I began to laugh while his cheeks grew red of embarrassment. "That place has been closed for quite some time." "Shoot, really?" His smile grew larger as his embarrassment diminished. "How about Tim Horton's?" I asked through a smile that didn't want to dwindle. He laughed, "Which one?" "Good point. Um, how about the one over there." I pointed to the coffee shop that was located right next to the ice rink. He showed me his pleasing smile and concluded our conversation with five small words, "I'll see you at seven."


	2. Chapter 2

_***Short Chapter; enjoy!***_

Waiting for him seemed like forever. My eyes would trail down to read the local newspaper placed in front of me but once the bell that indicated that someone had entered the store would go off, my eyes would revisit the entrance.

I was nervous. My hands were shaking along with my knees; luckily I found a seat near the exit just in case I screw up and need a fast exit plan. I began to pull at my grey cardigan that covered my blank tank top vigorously. My eyes shot up at the door once the bell went off, disappointed to see a young boy and his weary mother, I brought my attention to my blue jeans that were quiet pricey but super cute if I do say so myself and then moved my hand up to my high pony tail that held my long black hair.

I heard the chair across from me that was once empty, obtain a presence. I looked up to find a smiling Sidney. He was wearing a black long sleeve shirt that defined his chest and jeans that were very similar to the jeans he wore this morning but instead of fading near the knees and pockets, they darkened.

"Hey, I see you've already got yourself a coffee." I could feel my cheeks heat up as I looked down at my already empty cup. I could hear him smiling while he spoke, "Can I get you another one?" "If you don't mind," I managed to say. I don't know what was wrong with me; I mean I had a normal conversation with him this morning before I found out about his celebrity status. "It would be my pleasure," he got up and walked towards the cashier who took his order and brought him two coffees in a matter of seconds. The employee was a cute brunette whose cheeks went red at the sight of Sidney; was I the only person around here that didn't seem to recognize him?

He handed a five dollar bill to her and made his way back to our table; the young teenager still staring at him. "Here you go," he placed the coffee in front of me and made himself comfortable in his thin chair. "Thanks," I said before sipping the steaming drink.

He fidgeted in his chair before saying, "Is it just me or are these chairs miniature?" his observation caused me to laugh aloud, almost spilling my coffee all over him. He watched me laugh with a grin on his charming face. "Do you want to get out of here?" I stopped laughing immediately, giving him my full attention.

"But you just got here," I said  
"Come on," he grabbed my hand and pulled me towards the doors. I placed the full cup of coffee on the table and managed to get my balance as Sidney brought me to the exit and outside.  
"Where are we going?" I said, trying to hold back my laughter. I was unsuccessful with holding them back and began to giggle once he and I walked side by side in the direction of the rink.  
"Where are we going?" I repeated before he said, "I think it's closed," his smile diminished as he stopped walking.

I stopped with him and finally put all the pieces together. I looked into his hazel eyes which were fixed on the dark arena. "I know how to get in," I whispered. A smile reappeared on his face as we began to run towards the rink again. Once we reached the rink, I led him to a large metal door that was very similar to the exit.

James and I used to sneak into the ice rink countless times before I realized sneaking into an arena wasn't the best way to spend some time with my brother. I spotted the silver key placed on the ledge above the doors. I jumped up and grabbed it, landing swiftly on my feet. I turned to Sidney and handed him the key. He looked at the key, at me and then smiled.

He unlocked the door and was already in the rink before I could put the key back. I scoped the room, hoping no one was here working after hours and saw Sidney behind the counter grabbing skates. "What size are you?" it was hard for me to hear him over the clinging of skates. "Oh, I don't skate." I was leaning over the counter when he said, "I don't think they have that size," he lifted up his head and flashed me his pearly white teeth. "Size 7,"

He continued searching for skates once he placed my size 7 skates on the counter. The skates were white with one or two smudges on the toe of the skate. He placed his skates, which were beat up, on the counter beside mine. He placed his two hands on the edge of the counter and hopped over. We grabbed our skates in chorus.

I followed him into the small space the locals use for a change room and watched as his eyes lit up. "This brings back so many memories," he muttered. I flashed him a smile as we made our way to the back of the change room and onto a seat.

The skates were very uncomfortable. My toes were squished together and I could already feel my ankles rubbing against the skates. "How do they feel?" his full lips spread into a smile hoping for an answer. "Fine?" my voice was uncertain. His laugh filled the change room. "Hey, I'm no NHL player. I have no idea what to do and how to feel while skating."

His laughter continued as we made our way to the ice. He managed to unlock and open the rink door with one hand and grab mine with the other. He was on the ice still holding my hand, watching as I slowly made my way onto the slippery surface. My skates were officially on the ice. "Good, see you've got it." He began to loosen his grip and skate away when my left skate managed to hit the back of my right skate. My body was getting ready to hit the ice once his warm hands grabbed onto my elbows.

My face began to heat up while my eyes looked around in bewilderment. "Maybe you don't have it." His hand made their way to mine and began to pull me forward. "Just stand there and glide, I'll do the rest." My hands were shaking as my knees were caving in. "Bend your knees a little and keep your eyes up." A nervous laugh slipped out of my mouth before muttering, "I'd like to know what I'm skating over, thank you very much." My eyes were glued to the ground when he stopped skating. My skates kept moving forward until his hands loosened their grip on my hands and found their way onto my cheeks. I looked up to see his hazel eyes looking into mine.

"You have to look up or else you'll fall or worse... you'll skate right into me." I nodded my head before looking back at the ice. He let out a quiet laugh and raised my head, "Look at me, not the ice." He released his hands from my face and began to skate backwards while making sure my eyes were locked on him.

I cautiously put one skate in front of the other remembering to look at Sidney's hazel eyes. I was struggling but he didn't want me to stop skating and focus on the ice. The aching at the bottom of my feet grew with every lap I managed.

"My feet hurt," I assured him.  
"You'll get used to it. I think you've got the hang of it," his grip on my hands loosened and before I knew it I was gliding on ice without any help. My arms flared as my legs wobbled but I was making my way around the ice with no spills or tumbles.

"See, you've got it," Sidney skated from behind me and without delay skated facing me. I tried to bend my knees, hoping I would pick up speed. My balance abruptly went from being on two skates to one. I let out a shriek and felt the cool ice underneath me.

Sidney was by my side helping me on my feet in seconds. The laughter was slowly creeping up my throat and out of mouth. "Are you alright?" his voice sounding concerned. The look on his face sent the laughter roaring through my lips. Concern drained from his face; leaving nothing but a grin. "I think I'm better off watching."

He skated faster than anything I've ever seen before. Round and round the ice he would go without breaking a sweat. After his tenth lap he stopped in front of the board I was leaning on. "Sure you don't want to join me?" he asked. "I'm sure," I reassured him with a smile. He began his eleventh lap while I gradually loosened my skate.

I let out a breath of relief once my throbbing feet were inside my black boots. The temperature of the arena cooled the inside of the boots, making my feet thrive on the serene shoe. I returned my gaze onto the now empty ice.

"Sidney?" I called out. "Sidney?" I repeated to myself. Music began to play from the speakers above the rink. I recognized the song playing, _Casey's Song_ by City and Colour. The door leading to the main office opened and Sidney came into sight.

He made his way onto the ice and stood there waiting. I jumped down the couple steps that led to an opening onto the ice. His lips widened into a smile. I opened the boards and took a step onto the icy surface. I looked up at Sidney and noticed that he was no longer on skates but wearing black and white sneakers. Four long strides and I was by his side smelling his sweet cologne.

"_With you on my mind and my heart held in your hands..." _I felt his warm hand drape around mine.

"I'm having a really good time tonight," he whispered to me. His eyes were locked on mine while he rested his hands on my hips. "Me too." The song finished but our feet continued to move.


	3. Chapter 3

"_With you on my mind and my heart held in your hands, screaming..." _I smacked the snooze button on my alarm clock before the song continued. Memories of the night with him were beginning to creep up. My eyes slowly creped open to find James sitting at the foot of my bed staring at the far wall.

"What's a matter?" I asked with my morning voice. He continued to star at the wall ignoring my question. "What's a matter?" I repeated.

"He's here." I jumped out of bed, grabbed my brother while slipping on boots and snuck out through the back door. Once we were passed the gates and snooping bystanders I placed him down in front of me. "The T.V. was working, why is he here?" James asked through shattering teeth. "Are you cold?" I asked hoping to get off the topic of the cable man.

Before he could answer I began to the house. "Stay there!" I shouted back to him. The cool wind collided with my bare legs. Maybe wearing shorts and a tank to bed wasn't such a good idea. I ran to the back and into the house. The coast was clear. I tippy toed down the main hall, turned left and headed for my room.

As I was pulling my track pants over my right leg, a piece of paper with his number written on it from under the bed exposed itself. This object held all my emotions I disposed of after the first month and no contact with him. I can still smell his sweet cologne, taste his lips, and remember his smile. I continued with my pants while staring intensely at the sample of paper. I grabbed one of many sweaters left here by James and kicked the paper back under my bed where it belonged; hidden and concealed.

"Where are you going?" her strained voice initiated a scream. "Shh!" the venom in her voice didn't help slow my now timid heart beat. "Where's James?" her sudden interest in my brother worried me. "I would like an answer-"I raised my hand signalling her to stop. "I don't want James in the house when _he_ is here." It was the truth. Don't get me wrong, Hulk is a nice guy but he is not a good influence on my mother or James. Who am I kidding? He was a horrible man who took advantage of my mom when she was desperate.

Her stare grew severe as the minutes went by. "He is going to be here for a while," she whispered.

"What the fuck did you do now?" I said through clenched teeth. She responded with her typical answer, "Nothing."

"Bullshit," I said. "Really Allie, I did nothing," she argued taking steps toward me. "Bullshit!" I shouted, as I drew back my body. She threw up her arms as an act of exhaustion, stomped out of my room and down the hall.

Running was the last thing I wanted to do right now but James freezing was motivation enough for me. I saw him sitting on the curb where I left him tossing rocks. "James!" I yelled from across the street. His head tilted up with his eyes searching for the origin of the voice. I let out a sigh. That boy is one of a kind. "James, I'm right here!" He lifted himself off of the curb, took two steps onto the cement road and stopped. What was he doing now?

Moments later a car came speeding down the road and stopped inches from where I was standing. The driver began to roll down the window, "Hey idiot, slow down next time" I said before realizing who I was talking to. His smile radiated through his lips while his stimulating eyes watched my face go red. I heard James call my name from behind the vehicle. His eyes never left my face.

It took all my strength to begin making my way around his car. "Allie? Can we talk?" I was on the other side of the street when I heard him shout from the driver's window. I could see the look of confusion on James' face when I placed my hand on his back and headed back to the house. The driver's door shut closed and within seconds a hand was wrapped around mine pulling me back.

"What do you want?" I said through clenched teeth. His hand left mine after witnessing the anger expressed through my words. "I just want to talk," he whispered, leaning closer to me. I hesitated at first, unable to speak. "James, continue walking, I'll be home soon." I could see a smile slowly creeping up on Sidney's face.

James was on the driveway when I turned to resume 'talking' to the hockey superstar. "I have a question, do you do this to all the girls you go out with? Or am I just that special?" The smile disappeared along with his confidence. "You have every right to be angry at me for what I did but I'm here-"I put up my right hand to stop him from continuing. "Please, don't apologize." An apology was the last thing I wanted to hear coming from his lips.

"I am sorry your angry because I didn't call you," his expression was filled with sympathy; he, out of all people, shouldn't be sympathetic towards me.

"I'm not angry because you didn't call me," I could see the bewilderment on his face. "I'm angry at myself for thinking you would." And there it was, the punch that would hopefully send him running. "I understand," he took a step towards me. "That's the thing! You don't understand, you might think you do but you don't! I don't go on dates with hockey superstars, I don't skate with them, I don't dance with them, I don't ki-" his lips collided into mine.

His lips left mine, leaving me standing two inches from his warm body with both his hands on each side of my now heated face. "Uhh," was all I could force out of my mouth. His hands fell to his side while his grin went from ear to ear. "What were you saying?" My cheeks grew red as my teeth showed through my smile.

"Oh, yes. You were saying that you would love to go to lunch with me." He said.

"I can't go anywhere looking like this," I said. It was the truth. A white tank top, black track pants and brown boots isn't what I call lunch attire.

"You look beautiful," he insisted.

"You're staying here?" my voice sounded shocked but excited. He closed the car door behind me as I walked toward the building that looked more like a palace than a hotel. The windows were a beautiful blue while the walls were pale beige. The structure of the building alone would make any architect jealous and any women melt.

I could feel his hand in mine, pulling me through the entrance. The employee's in the lobby nodded at Sidney as we made our way to the main elevator. "Let's take the stairs," I challenged. I watched his face light up as we, hand in hand, made our way to the stairs.

"What floor did you say you were on?" I asked between steps. "The twelfth," he was smiling through his words. "Great," I sighed. "Hey, it was your idea," he reassured me.

We began on another set of stairs when I felt his hands grab my waist, pulling me against him. His back was on the wall when he stopped to look into my eyes, his face inches from mine. I could smell the sweet cologne on the collar of his blue and white plaid shirt. She looked up at him to find herself smiling. All the troubles in the past melted away at that exact moment. She was happy with Sidney, she was happy in his arms. He bent down as his hands cupped her cheeks and she knew she was about to be much happier.

His lips moved in chorus with mine as our bodies grew closer together. His lips pressed harder against mine made my heart skip a beat. I tried remembering the last time I was kissed like this. My first kiss was when I was 16 with Mike Winchester. He and I had a crush on each other for quite some time, but I finally got the guts to go over and kiss him smack on the lips. Not even my act of bravery could compare to this right here.

One of his hands was tangled in my dark hair when our lips parted. The butterflies in my stomach continued to flutter while my blood coursed through my veins, leaving me feeling blissful and unsatisfied.

He flashed me his tender smile before continuing up the stairs. I followed him until we reached a grey door with the number '12' in bold writing. "Come on," he placed his arm under my elbow and led through the entrance. The butterflies had settled down as we reached his room that was two doors from the stairs.

He swiped the card, waited for the green light, and led me in his dark room. Before I could begin to search for a light switch, the room lit up. It was a large room with two beds, a desk, refrigerator, a large closet and a massive window that had a great view of the icy shore line. I moved toward the window to get a better view of the outdoors. "It's beautiful," I whispered to myself.

The scent of fire and vanilla travelled up my nose. I turned around to find Sidney lighting white candles and placing them on the rectangular desk. "What's this?" I asked. "It's our lunch," he opened the fridge which was located beside the desk and pulled out two plates covered in plastic wrap. He placed the two plates on each side of the desk and removed the plastic wrap. "It's not a fancy dinner but it's the best I could come up with," he rubbed the back of his neck hoping for approval.

I looked down at the plates to find a piece of chicken surrounded by peas and mashed potatoes. My mouth watered while my stomach roared. "It looks delicious," I said. He pulled out the chair that was on the farther side of the desk. I took a seat and waited for him to get comfortable before digging into the food.

"This is amazing," I muttered with a mouth full of peas. He laughed and put a fork full of peas into his mouth. He chewed three times, swallowed, and said, "These are good," he put another fork full of peas in his mouth. "You look surprised," I observed. "I'm going to be honest, I didn't make this. I asked the chef to make it," I swallowed what was in my mouth before laughing aloud. I raised my glass full of what I thought was ginger-ale and made a toast, "To the chef." He raised his glass, "To the chef."

Glances were exchanged during the course but no words were voiced. I helped him clear the desk and then returned to the enormous window to resume looking at the shoreline. "I can't believe what a beautiful view this is," I said. "The view is the only reason why I love this room," he said from the other side of the room.

"Must be nice to afford a room like this," I immediately regretted the words that escaped from my mouth. My body went tense, hoping I didn't offend him. His soft laughter broke the silence. I turned around to find him sitting on the bed closest to the door. "Sorry, I forget to think before I talk."

He patted the space next to him, "Don't worry about it. But you're right; it is nice being able to afford this room." I took a seat next to him and watched the smile on his face grow larger.

He moved his face closer to mine while placing his right arm over my shoulders. I closed the space between our faces before he moved away. Once again, his kiss made the settled butterflies lose control while my blood picked up speed. I moved my arms over his shoulders and around his neck, also closing the space between our bodies. His hands slowly moved down my back, resting on my hips.

I pulled my lips away from his to catch my breath. He looked at my pink lips and then at my eyes. He hesitated for a moment and then blurted out, "I'm leaving tomorrow."

The butterflies froze, while my heart fell to the floor. "What?" I drew back my arms. "I wanted to spend my last day here with you-"His expression changed from content to deprived. "Wait, what?" my throat began to close while my eyes started to water. I got onto my feet and took two steps away from the bed. "I have to be on the road tomorrow morning," he whispered, taking two steps towards me.

"Why did you even bring me here? Was this some kind of joke?" I shouted, drawing my body back from his reach. "God no! I wanted to spend my last day here with you, that's all." His stretched arms fell to his side.

"I knew this was too good to be true," I whispered to myself, holding back the tears.

"Allie, listen to me-""No, Sidney! Why couldn't you just keep driving? Why did you have to bring me here? So you can see the look on my face when you tell me you're leaving?" I said through clenched teeth.

He reached out to grab onto me, "Don't touch me." It took all my power to turn around and leave him there alone.

I was on the tenth flight of stairs before I heard his footsteps echo down the stair well. My feet began to move at a remarkable speed down the concrete steps. "Allie!" He shouted from the top of the stairs. I stopped in my tracks to look up at him leaning over the railing. "Bye, Sidney."


	4. Chapter 4

"Hé, vous sentez-vous pas maux ?" Fleury's voice came from behind my seat. I turned my head to find both Tanger and Fleury concentrating on my face. "What are you guys doing?" I asked, wishing they would stop. "Trying to read your mind," Tanger said, still fixed on my face. "Good luck with that."

"But really, guy. What's wrong?" my seat began to tremble as the plane shook. "Il y a une tempête ?" I asked trying to change the subject. "Is it the girl?" Fleury asked. Tanger's face lit up. At the corner of my eye, I could see Max getting up from his seat as his voice filled the plane, "Sid met a girl? C'mon guys, we all know the only girls Sid talks to are his mom and sister." He sat in the empty seat next to me.

"Shut up, Max." I muttered through clenched teeth. "L'accord Max, fait taire." "Thanks Flower," I said. "I'm just joking, guy." I watched as his expression changed to sympathetic. "I just ... I just realized how much I hate leaving home." My eyes fell to my lap. Max left to go back to his seat while Flower and Tanger sat back, whispering.

"Quelle fille ?" Kris asked. Too tired to ask them to mind their own business, I let them continue.  
"Nous sommes allés à l'arène et à Sid et j'ai rencontré une fille," Flower's voice was clearer then Kris'.  
"Et ?" Tanger's voice sounded eager.  
"Que voulez-vous dire 'et' ?"  
"Qu'est-ce qui est arrivé ?" I saw Max lean over to Staalzy and whisper something in his ear, causing him to look in my direction.  
"Je que dont connaissent, je n'étais pas avec lui tout le temps." Flower's voice grew louder.

I look behind my seat to find Tanger in a head lock. "Do you guys want to know what really happened?" looking in their keen eyes as I surrendered. "S'il vous plait."

After many interrupted stories, I sat back and waited for their response. I watched as their eyes went from their lap into mine. "Have you tried calling her?" Fleury was the first one to speak.

"It's been ten days, she will just hang up," I sighed. "Well, I mean I understand why she would hang up." I thought out loud. "Yea, smart move telling her you were leaving," Kris finally spoke. "What was I supposed to say if I ever saw her again, 'I didn't want to get you mad so I left without telling you.'?"

The pilot announced that we landed but I didn't make any effort to move. I heard Geno call Tanger to help with the bags and watched him leave. The plane began to empty when Flower sat next to me. "You really should talk to her, you know, tell her how you feel." I felt his hand on my shoulder. "Je ne sais pas comment je me sens," I breathed out. It was the truth; I didn't know how I felt about Allie. I've had things for other girls but this one was different. "You'll do the right thing."

Watching James skate was a challenge. For him, skating was demanding; turning each corner with somewhat of a drain. Kids calling his name from the other side of the rink, noticing his lack of equipment; it was heart breaking which was something I knew too much of.

I became focused on the little red head skating along the boards when my phone vibrated in my jacket pocket. The number appeared on the screen of my phone but no name. I pressed the green button after seconds of hesitation. "Hello?" All I heard was soft breathing from the other end of the conversation. "Hello? Is anyone there?"

"Allie? It's Sidney." His velvet voice enveloped my senses. "I know I'm the last person you want to talk to right now but-"The tears building up in my eyes encouraged me to speak. "But what?" he was silent for a long moment before saying, "I needed to hear your voice." Not letting him continue, I closed my phone and placed it into my pocket.

In an attempt to regain my strength, I focused on a mother and daughter skating along the boards. I had watched them glide around the rink a few times when I loud commotion broke out on the ice. I could hear the kids chanting for a fight as I made my way on the ice with my boots.

I saw Martha, the owner's daughter, skating towards the crowd. "Martha? What's going on?" I asked still trying to get closer without wiping out. "Hey Allie, I'm not sure. My guess is some kids are fighting over who is the faster skater," I heard her chuckle as she skated by me to join the pack. I finally was able to reach the group, when I saw James holding onto another boy's collar and throwing him around.

My heart began to race as I pushed people aside and got a hold of my brother. "James, are you crazy!" I pulled him away from the frightened boy. "He was making fun of my skates!" His arms were flailing in the air, trying to reach the blonde boy. The little boy pushed the hair out of his face to recover his bloody face. I pushed James into the crowd, "Take off your skates and go in the car," He stood there stubbornly watching the kids cringe away from him. "Now!" I bent down next to the injured boy and watched as James skated off the rink.

"Are you okay?" I grabbed onto the boys hand and helped him up. It looked as if he was too stunned to answer. On his forehead was a small gash with a river of blood flowing down his face. "Let's find your parents," I could feel my phone vibrate in my pocket once we were off the ice and near the arena exit; I ignored the call. "Do you see them anywhere?" The frightened boy pointed directly at the older couple parking their car.

I met the boy's parents while they were walking to the rink. After explaining to them what I thought happened, exchanged numbers, promising to pay for whatever damage was done and made my way over to the car that carried my stubborn brother.

Once I reached the car, I opened the driver's door, sat down and slammed it shut. "Before you freak, let me explain what happened," I sat there quietly, afraid of my emotions taking over. "I was skating and that kid randomly starting skating next to me," James paused choosing his words carefully. "He said my skates were well-fare, he said I couldn't afford good skates because..." I glanced over at him, waiting for him to continue. "Because?" I whispered. "Because mom was a whore."

Something was terribly wrong. My feet were aching, my lungs were working extra hard, my mind was somewhere else. Usually after a practice I am as energetic as I was before the skate, now I can't even walk.

I focused on moving one foot in front of the other fast enough to get out of the arena and into my car. The muscles at the back of my legs were inflamed with pain, making my car seem miles away. "Hey, wait up!" I froze in an attempt to relax my muscles. Jordan was standing next to me before I could change direction of my body. "Hey Staalzy," I patted my hand on his shoulder.

"Man, are you okay? You looked a little rough during practice," He noticed me using his body for balance. Lifting my hand off his shoulder and placing it on the chair behind me. "I'm fine, just a little sore." Being sore was an understatement to the actual pain coursing through my veins.

I could feel his stare. "What?" I asked taking a seat on the chair. "Who's this girl?" I could sense a hint of curiosity in his tone. "Ugh, it's nothing." His laughed filled the hallway. "If she's enough to be on your mind 24/7 and make you suck at practice then I'm sure she is more than nothing."

"Like I said before, it's nothing." The words came out sharper than expected. As if I offended him, Jordan made his way down the hallway. While watching his figure get farther away from me, Allie appeared in front of me. I could feel my eyes widen as she followed him down the hallway still looking at me. Her black long hair flowing down her back, petit silhouette moving with her footsteps; all of it was pulling me in.

I shook my head in an attempt to gain strength to go to her but instead was left with an empty hall.

"Where have you guys been?" she asked running out of the house; face emotionless. James pushed past me into the house. "What happened?" I automatically locked the car door and began towards the house.

"Will someone please talk to me?" my mother pleaded before kicking one of the few flowers in the garden. I swung my body around, "Why should any of us talk to you? You have nothing important to say!" I shouted, quickly returning into the house.

I kicked off my black boots and saw James surrender himself to the couch pillows. I plopped myself right next to him keeping quiet. "Are you going to tell mom?" he asked with his face covered by a large pillow. "Tell her what?" He let the pillow fall from his hands.

"Promise me you will never do anything like that again?" I asked "Promise." I gave him a comforting smile and focused on the television. It was a hockey game; black against orange. James must have noticed my interest in the game when he said, "It's him, right there." I was a little confused about who he was referring to as 'him.' "Sidney Crosby," he pointed at the player skating down the ice with the puck.

"Cool," I choked out. James jumped off the sofa cheering for Sidney to pass to Geno. Trying to play normal I asked, "Who is Geno?" A spotlight appeared on a player while the crowd sheered him on. My brother continued to cheer; someone scored, I think.

"You suck, Philly!" James shouted at the T.V screen. "Who was that?" I asked. "Talbot, baby!" James returned to his seat on the couch, still cursing at the orange players. "Who? Never mind, I don't even know why I ask." He chuckled but was immediately distracted by the events taking place in the game.

"C'mon Sid! Get your head in the game!" Dan shouted into my ear as I nodded my head. I was trying my best but apparently my best wasn't good enough for the fans in Melon Arena. "I want some goals, Sid. I don't want fumbles." I shifted down the bench still keeping my eye on the puck moving across the ice.

"Are you listening to me?" He shouted once more. The players on the bench shifted once more as Eaton took his shift and Kennedy skated on the bench. "Yeah, I hear you." I sighed. I could feel Tyler's eyes on me as he said the following, "Must be the chick," I shifted once more before looking back at Dan to find his eyes fixed on my face.

"Is the game over already?" I asked James.

"Yea," he sighed as he slouched in the couch.

"Who won?" I asked even though I was watching the game, I had no idea what was going on. "Philadelphia." I could hear the disappointment in his voice as he pulled himself off the couch and walked into the kitchen.

That was one thing I didn't get with boys, I mean it was just a game, not the end of the world. I was about to get off the couch when Hulk entered the room holding a beer bottle that was half empty. I snapped my head forward in an attempt to act normal. I felt the couch move as he sat down next to me. "Philly won?" I could tell that this was his attempt at acting normal. I nodded my head. "That's too bad." I could smell the alcohol on his breath as he spoke.

"My mom is outside," I managed to mutter before shifting down the couch. "I know that," his words were sharp. "I wanted to talk to you," I felt his rough fingers trace a circle on the outside of my hand. I drew back my hand and jumped off the couch.

"I have to go," I looked into his gray eyes as he smirked. I couldn't look at him any longer. I went down the hallway, through the backdoor and over the fence. The wind danced through my loose hair as I walked down the quit street on a dark, cool night.

I was pulling at my grey sweater, trying to stretch it past my waist before colliding into a body. "I am so sorry!" I said brushing the hair from my face. "No worries," the body's voice was deeper than expected. I looked up to find a handsome young man staring down at me. The man had beautiful sky blue eyes with thick lashes. His lips were stretched across his face, exposing white teeth. And to top it off, his hair was a blonde that girls would die for.

I smiled at the young man and began back home when his voice filled the air, "I've seen you before." I turned to face his determined expression. I shook my head, "I don't think so." He took a step closer, "No, I'm positive I've seen you before."

"Look, I've never seen you before. I'm sorry," I waited for a moment hoping he would stop scoping my figure; he didn't. As if a light bulb went on, his face glowed with excitement. "Were you at the ice rink this morning?"

"Yes." I whispered. "That's where I've seen you before. Hi, I'm Jack." He put out his hand, expecting a hand shake. "Nice to meet you Jack but I really should get going," He let his hand fall to his side.

I was crossing the street when he shouted, "What's your name?" I let out a quit laugh before shouting back, "its Allie."

I left Dan a message telling him I would be missing tomorrows practice as I was boarding the plane. By the time the plane had landed, my inbox was filled with e-mails asking me where I am and who I'm visiting. I ignored each and every one of them.

I got into the taxi and gave him a sheet of paper with her street name written in black marker. A few moments later, the car stopped in a dark road. "Forty Dollars," the driver demanded. I placed the bills in his hand as I got out of the yellow vehicle.

The street seemed dead. No lights were on; no citizens walking across the sidewalk. I stood there and watch the taxi disappear into the distance before noticing a silhouette making its way down the street. By the looks of the body, this silhouette was a female. She had a grey sweater and black pants on. My feet moved without commend towards the figure. She stopped in her tracks and stood there for a long moment. I took another step towards her to notice her black, lengthy hair. I took one final step before seeing her blue eyes that I have been longing to surrender to for weeks.

"Allie?" I called for her but she didn't move. I could see the expression in her face change but there was no movement from her body. "Allie?" I repeated. She took a step towards the street, "What are you doing here?" Her voice sent chills through my spine. "I want to talk to you."

"About what, Leaving?" her words were as sharp as knives. "Look, I understand why you're upset but I didn't want to leave without telling you. Allie, I flew from Pittsburgh just to see you. That must say a lot about how much you mean to me." I moved towards her to find her sky blue eyes fixed on my face. "I know you know there is more between us then a one night stand. I know you feel what I feel." My voice was beginning to crack from frustration. She was the one to then take a step closer to me. "Why?" she asked.

"Why what?"

"Why fly from Pittsburgh just to see me?" The wind was blowing through her hair, making her face look as beautiful as ever. "Because I couldn't go another day without seeing your face."


	5. Chapter 5

In the middle of a murky street were a man and a woman who felt at home in each other's arms. "I won't leave you again," he whispered into my ear. His hand passionately grabbed onto my hair, pushing my body into his. My arms were wrapped around his torso, my hands linked at his back.

We stood like that for a long moment before his voice broke the silence, "Let's get a cup of coffee." I laughed as I released my grip around his waist. He flashed me his flawless smile and grabbed onto my hand. We walked in silence until we reached the Tim Horton's that was around the block.

We were outside the entrance when he turned to me and smiled. "What?" I asked, batting my lashes watching as his hazel eyes never left my face. "I don't feel like coffee anymore," his smile disappeared. "Okay." He let his hand drop and began into the building. "I'm just going to make a call and I will be right out." He was through the door before I could protest. Confused about what just happened, I sat on the cold curb and watched the cars drive by. My eyes followed one Mini Cooper down the road until it vanished into the night.

I felt a warm hand on my shoulder. I twisted my body around to find his hazel eyes beaming and his white smile exposed. His eyes left my face and stared at something that was towards the road. I returned my gaze at the dark street that now had a yellow vehicle parked on the side of the road closest to Sidney and me. "How?" I muttered in disbelief.

"C'mon, let's go." He grabbed onto my hands and pulled me towards the car. Once we reached the Taxi, he opened the back door. He motioned for me to enter and I did with him close behind. I heard the door shut as the engine of the car roared. I looked over at Sidney in confusion. He returned my confused expression with a cute smirk. I looked out the car window the entire ride, hoping to guess where we were going. Then the magnificent hotel came into view. I gasped in excitement even though the hotel brought back terrible memories, the structure made my heart melt.

The vehicle stopped outside the hotel doors. I jumped out of the car and walked right into the building. Last time I was here, I didn't get a chance to observe the inside of the hotel. I scoped the lobby and was blown away at the furniture and amount of art on the walls. There was a burgundy coloured love seat that was laced with gold thread and a picture of a beautiful sunflower; Van Gogh. I took a few steps toward the couch when I heard his voice.

He was speaking with one of the many employees who were staring at me observe the interior of the hotel. "My key, please." I heard him whisper as he retrieved the key from the woman in the blue suit. I was by his side before he left for the elevator.

I watched as he swiped the key in the familiar door to the familiar room. The green light flashed as the door opened. Moments later I found myself sitting on the foot of the familiar bed looking into his hazel eyes.

"Hey Sid, its Jordan. Uh, call me back, it's ...ugh...urgent; Pat is going crazy." Jordan's voice was now a whisper. I removed the phone from my ear and closed it shut. Knowing Pat, he was probably on the next flight over. That didn't leave me much time then. I looked back at the bed where Allie was sleeping.

The blankets were wrapped around the women who made me feel something special. Special in the sense that I have never felt this way before. I've been with many women before; most just one night stands. But none of them cross my mind like she does.

I walked over to the side where she lay and watched her chest rise with each breath. I knelt beside the bed trying not to wake her. Her black hair was pushed back, exposing her pale, bold face. The eye lids that were covering her blue eyes opened slightly. I could feel my lips spread across my face, "Hey, I'm going to go get some coffee, would you like one?" Her pink lips parted but there were no words. I brushed back the hair that escaped from between the pillows away from her face as I felt her nod her head.

I got up, saw that it was 5:00 in the morning and walked out the room hoping no one was up this early. I was in the lobby pouring the coffee when his voice came from behind the dark desk, "What are you doing to yourself Sid?" I turned to face who I thought was Pat Brisson.

"What do you mean, I'm just-"his voice filled the empty floor interrupting me "Is she worth it?"

"What?" I asked. He stepped into the light, revealing his identity. "Is the girl in your hotel room worth leaving your team?" his voice was like a snake; filled with venom. The lines on my father's face appeared just before I responded, "I didn't leave my team, and I just took a couple days off."

He shook his head, "Do you know how worried Mario and Pat were? Playoffs start in a couple months and you're running off to be with some chick?" I opened my mouth to begin to protest but his venomous voice interrupted, "There are so many people depending on you! I am very disappointed Sid."

"Jesus Dad! I'm sick and tired of always thinking of what I can do to please others! Just let me have a life outside of hockey!" I spat the words at him.

"Son, your life is hockey!" He let out a quiet laugh before continuing, "That's why you are who you are! You wouldn't be one of the greatest players on the ice today if your whole life didn't revolve around hockey; you would be another player whose name would soon be forgotten." I could feel my face turning red.

"If you do this again, I swear-""What! You'll ground me? I'm not a kid anymore dad! I'll be back in a couple days okay? Besides, we don't play for another week." I took a few steps towards the fuming man. "It's not about that. It's about the fact that you would leave your job to sleep with some local chick." My hands were trembling, "Can you stop calling her that!"

"I am sorry, what's her name? Is it Carmen, like the girl you met at the bar in Washington? Or is it Jessica, like the one maid from Calgary?" his voice grew more and more livid with each word.

"That's not fair." I muttered

"Life isn't fair son, now go to your room, grab your things; there will be a taxi waiting for you to take you to the airport." He took a couple steps towards the doors, "I didn't sleep with her," I said through clenched teeth. "What did you say son?" he turned to face me. "I said I didn't sleep with her."

"That's a shame, now what are you going to tell the guys?" I watched as he exited the building laughing, leaving his son hurt and disturbed.

I stood in the shower, making the most of the warm water running down my body. I let the water flow down my cheeks and fall onto my sore shoulders. I began to rub them, thinking about the last few hours.

We stayed in each other's arms watching whatever was on at such late hours. We discussed our interests and family; I purposely did not mention my current family problems. We ended the night in each other's arms. It was a night I know I won't forget and that scares me.

I shut the shower off, got out and began drying myself off. While drying off my hair with the towel, I caught a glimpse of the mirror. The woman had dark, wavy hair that fell onto her pale body. Her blue, piercing eyes were fixed on the pink, full lips that were slightly parted. I knew the woman in the bathroom mirror was me but I wish she wasn't because behind that face there was a story of tragedy and suffering.

I heard the hotel door slam shut and a loud knock on the bathroom door soon after. "One second," I wrapped the towel around my wet body and left the steam filled room.

Sidney was standing near the foot hotel door with tears streaming from his red eyes. I gasped and ran to him, "What happened?" He grabbed onto my shoulders, pulling me closer to his chest. I wrapped my arms around his waist while he let his chin rest on my shoulder.

"What happened? No more coffee?" He let out a quick laugh before lifting his chin off my shoulder to look into my eyes. "I don't want to have to do this," his lips trembling as he whispered the words I didn't want to here come out of his mouth. I could feel my heart drop to the floor, the lump forming in my throat, and the tears rushing down my face.

I shook my head, muttering, "It's okay, I understand."

His lips came crashing down onto mine, I could feel his hands wrapping around my lower back. He pulled away, looking down at the towel that was still secure on my body. His hands moved up from my back and onto the knot that was keeping the towel from exposing my bare body. His gaze returned to my drained eyes and moved down to my lips.

I grabbed onto the back of his head, grabbing a chunk of hair and pulling it towards me. Our lips moved in chorus as the towel fell to the floor; my hands trembling as they removed his cotton shirt. His lips left mine as they made their way down my neck. One of his hands was tangled in my wet hair while the other was holding my trembling hand as we made our way onto the unmade bed. He began kissing my cheek before whispering in my ear "I could spend forever in your arms."

My vision became clear once I woke up to find the covers wrapped around my body. I rubbed my eyes and looked around the empty hotel room. The curtains were pushed aside, exposing the beautiful view but also allowing the sun to beam into the room.

I pushed the blankets aside as I rested on my elbows. My eyes trailed down to the alarm clock to find a piece of paper resting on the drawers. I reached over, grabbed it and began reading:

_Dear Allie,_

_ It seems like I'm always saying goodbye when I don't want to. I didn't want to wake you, you looked peaceful. I need to tell you that I am going back to Pittsburgh to reunite with my team and hopefully escape any punishment that is waiting for me __at home. __You, Allie Drew, are my home now. For as long as I can remember I have been pushing anything outside of hockey out of my life; I will not push you away, I will keep you close._

_ I promise that I will call or write to you as much as I can but I need you to understand that hockey is my life. If I do not call, it isn't because I've forgotten about you because believe me, I've tried and I can't stop thinking about you. It is simply because hockey has given me no room to breathe._

_Already missing you._

He finished the letter with his signature and the number 87.

I continued pacing back and forth before looking at the alarm clock on the coffee table near the bed. I began chewing on my already chewed-up nails. Where was she? I thought. She's been out all night. I walked into the living room to check if I had any missed calls from my irresponsible daughter.

"Mom, I'm leaving now," James shouted from the house door. He had his bag all packed and his shoes all tied; without any help from his mother. "Okay, have fun at school." He slammed the door so hard the picture above the shoe rack came crashing down.

"Jesus James," I ran to the picture that was now shattered glass. I tried dodging the glass as I got onto my knees. The picture was of Allie as a child; around 5 years old. She was wearing her yellow rain boots with her navy blue rain coat. The young child had her hands completely covered in dirt, sticking them up for the camera to see. She was so beautiful with her hair in braids and a wide grin on her delicate face. The memory of this day hit me like a ton of bricks.

"_Mommy, look! Mommy, look at my hands!" Her laughter filled the backyard. Allie had her hands under a puddle that was left after the thunderstorm earlier this morning. "Allie, you're going to get your hands full of mud."The smile on her face grew more as her hands became enclosed with water._

_I heard Courtney and Sadie mention something about jumping in the puddle and turned around to find them standing on a mud pile, getting ready to dive into the massive puddle below it. "Girls, don't you dare," I warned them while capturing there action on camera. _

"_Mommy, look at me!" I looked back at Allie but was met by two muddy hands inches from my knees. "Smile for the camera!" I knelt down and snapped the picture. _

A tear drop fell directly on Allie's youthful smile. A car door slammed outside the house with footsteps moving towards the door soon after. I dropped the picture, wiped my eyes and ran outside.

There she was, my little girl walking towards me. But instead of her hands being covered in mud, they were clenching her chest. "Allie, where were you?" I could feel the lump in my throat cutting off all oxygen.

Her arms were around me before I could oppose. My hands found their way on her back, smoothing her hair. Her voice was weak, "Please, I really need you to be a mom right now."


	6. Chapter 6

_Sorry for the lack of chapter's but I am busy with online courses and I am finding it hard to write as often _

**SPV**

"So when are we going to meet petite amie votre?" flower shouted from behind the boards. "Yea, when can we meet her?" Max added. I turned to him and let out a laugh, "She is never meeting you." Max and flower both laughed. Max continued laughing but Fluer resumed his conservative face and asked, "But when _are_ we going to meet her?"

"How do you even know there is a girl?" I bent down to tighten my skates. Max slapped his hand down onto my shoulder pads, "The way you're playing? How happy you are? There is definitely a girl involved." I looked up at my teammates and could feel the smile grow on my face, "Can't a guy just play good and be happy?"

Max removed his helmet and placed it on the ice in front of him, "Oui, mon ami mais it is just strange seeing you like this." I watched as he did his routine stretches beside me. "Thanks Max," I laughed and skated towards the bench. "Aucun Capitaine de problem," he shouted across the ice.

Jordan skated onto the bench and took a seat before giving me a 'look'. "What?" I asked with a large grin. "Does she have a sister? Best friend? Young mom?" I let out a roar of laughter, gripping onto my padded chest. "Seriously, dude." My eyes began to fill with water once I saw the smile on Staalzy's face.

"What are you talking about, guy?" I managed to choke out, still gripping my chest. "Your girly friend," he whispered, leaning in closer to the ledge of the boards. "Why are you whispering and how do you even know? How do they know?" I asked, pointing my fingers at the two goof balls playing some sort of Star Wars game with their equipment.

"Tanger told us," he began to slide down the bench before hitting my helmet with his stick. "Now get out there and skate, Captain."

"How did Kris find out?" I was shocked and I'm sure it showed through my visor. I normally don't wear this protection but that's what I get for picking a fight with Orr. Jordan returned his gaze to my shielded eyes, "He found one of the letter's she wrote to you."

I could feel the blood in my veins begin to boil as I skated my way towards the defenseman. Who gave him the right to go through my things? Those letters are private!

Jordan did say he _found_ it, but still! He should have returned it to me instead of sticking his French nose where it doesn't belong. Now he has got the whole team asking questions I hadn't planned on answering; not till it got serious. "Chill Sid," I heard Jordon call out from the bench.

Max's hand was on my shoulder, holding me back. "Not now, mon ami."

**APV**

I held the letter over my heart, breathing in his scent. He hadn't come to visit since leaving for Pittsburgh two weeks ago. I found it harder and harder to read the words on the paper telling me how much he wished I was there with him. I missed him; horribly.

And the fact that my heart would race every time my phone rang didn't help the situation. I submitted a resume to the local news station a couple of days ago and hadn't heard back. I needed this job. They said they could offer me an internship but I knew it wasn't what I wanted; I wanted to work with the big leagues; casting news stories, going on the street, interviewing witness' not fetching coffee and doing someone's laundry.

Not wanting to worry myself anymore, I closed my eyes and envisioned a beautiful beach. A beach with a clear blue sky above with a red kite piercing through the calm wind. I could feel my toes cringe at the feeling of hot sand between them. The waves of the ocean created soothing noises that seemed to calm my nerves. It was all so...peaceful.

A body materialized on the shore. The body was of a man; a man whose figure moved close with every _whoosh_ of the waves. It was him; it was the man I have been longing to touch since he left me unsatisfied at the hotel. I opened my mouth, but there were no words that could express the relief I felt. His hands were cupping my face while his eyes were on my lips.

I looked into his hazel eyes and watched as his mouth would move, but no sound would escape. His hands fell to his sides as he continued to call out soundless words. He took steps away from my heated body. I reached for his hand but he was already too far. The clear sky was now a murky grey with dark clouds covering the shy sun. I could hear the force of the waves on the shore as the sand grew colder. His mouth was still moving but this time my name flowed from his lips.

"Allie?" My body jolted from my bed. I rested on my elbows and looked at the person at my door. "Allie, I've been trying to get you up for an hour now," my mom was at my bedside with a wet cloth in her hand.

"Why? What's a matter? What happened?" I got on my feet, slipping the letter under my pillow. My mother had one of her hands on my shoulders, "Calm down honey, I'm just going to go get some medicine for James, he isn't feeling well." I let out a breath of relief before following my mother out of my room and into James'. "What's the cloth for?" I asked. "He was complaining about headaches, I thought this would help." I watched as she placed the wet material over James' shut eyes.

I sat next to my brother and began tracing invisible lines on his clenched fists. He looked like shit. He was as pale as ever with dark circles under his strained eyes. He was bundled up under the red and white striped blanket from the living room; not making an effort to move.

"Hey, buddy. What happened to you?" I whispered in his ear while my mother left the room. He let out a groan and wrapped his hands around his eyes. I stepped back, noticing the strange behaviour, "James?"

His body cringed as his head flew forward, "James!" I grabbed onto his shoulders and watched as my brother vomited on my bare feet. The look on his face told me something was wrong. "I'm sorry," he choked out. He rested back down and closed his strained eyes. "Don't apologize," I patted his wet hair and ran down the hall and into the washroom.

After letting the tap run, I placed my feet into the tub, keeping my balance on the ledge. My feet were soaking for a long moment before I felt my phone vibrate in my jeans.

"Allie Drew speaking," I said into the phone. "Hey, it's me." I heard him smile through his words, "Well, hello superstar, how's it going?" I began to splash my feet in the tub.

A huge grin spread across my face after hearing his laughter on the other line, "Just leaving the Arena and thought I'd call you and tell you the good news."

"Good news? Did you guys win?" I removed my feet from the dirty water; pulled the plug and began stomping on a dry towel. "No," I could hear the disappointment in his voice. "The good news is that I don't have another game for two days."

Walking back to my brother's bedside, I was unable to see the good news. I mean, he mentioned in his letters that he had games every other day and that he was so exhausted but I didn't see how I would benefit from fewer games. His laughter filled my ear, "That means I can come see you."

"What! No way!" James body cringed as I let out an excited scream. "I'll book a flight as soon as possible and call you when I land," he said, in a rush to hang up.

My cheeks began to hurt from the grin glued onto my face, "Okay, see you soon." The line went flat.

"What did he say?" James croaked from under the covers. "He is coming to visit," I practically squealed. I saw a small smile materialize on James' pale face.

**SPV**

He was leaning against his car, looking down at his phone in one hand and opening the driver's door with the other. I shoved my phone in my suit pocket and began taking long strides towards the French man before slamming his door shut. He looked up and threw his arms in the cool air, "Qu'est-ce que?"

"I think you know what's up? Where's my letter." I could see my breath in the crisp air. He had a quizzical look on his face, "What are you talking about, Sid?" He returned his gaze back to his phone. "You know what I'm talking about! Where is my letter?" I waited a long moment before his gaze was returned to my concentrated eyes. "Je sais que vous avez trouvé ma lettre et je sais que vous avez dit aux gars d'elle, now give it back."

He sighed and reached into his pocket, "I was going to give it back to you but I-" I yanked the folded paper out of his hands and began to walk to my car down the lot, "Hey, Je suis désolé!" I turned to face Tanger, "Next time, don't go blabbing to the guys." He nodded his head while opening the door again, "She seems like a nice girl."

I could feel the corners of my mouth curl up into a smile, "She is."

**APV**

"It's okay James, shh." I could hear my mom trying to calm my brother. I opened one eye to find a dark room with a door that was rimmed with light. I forced myself out of bed and into the bathroom; the light from the room hit me like a ton of bricks. I covered my eyes with one hand and held onto the door knob with the other.

"Go back to bed, Allie."My mother's blood shot eyes never left James' cowering body. "How long has he been puking?" I said over the moans and groans escaping from my brother's mouth. She peeled her eyes off of him to show me here concerned expression, "Two hours."

James lifted his head from inside the toilet. My eyes widened at the sight of my brothers pasty face. "Oh my god, James." Before he could respond, he hurled his body into the toilet, letting all the sickness escape.

"I'm going to take him to the clinic, so go get some rest." My mom lifted James from the shoulders and slowing exited the room.

I made my way back to the room and threw myself on my bed. Once my eyes finally grew heavy, the sound of my phone vibrating against the wooden stand filled my dim room. I flipped open the phone, "Hello?" I heard the front door slam shut.

"Hey," his voice sounded like I felt; tired and apprehensive. "The plane just landed, are you up?"

"I'm up now. What time is it?" Forcing myself onto my feet, I managed to return to the lit bathroom.

"Four, look if it's too early then-" "No, its fine. I was up anyways. Are you at the airport still?" I let the tap run, wet my tooth brush and squeezed what was left of the tooth paste. "Yup."

"Okay, I'll come get you." I shut the phone and tossed it on the counter.

**SPV**

I shoved the phone into my jean pocket before finding a seat next to the exit. She sounded exhausted; maybe I shouldn't have called her. Of course I shouldn't have; I shouldn't have even come. I don't want to hurt her by leaving but I don't think I can continue being with her without it interfering with hockey, well, that's what Troy, tells me. If he found out I was here, he would say I should be back at Pittsburgh with the team; playoffs are in a few weeks and we do not look like a Stanley Cup winning team.

What am I talking about? My Dad doesn't know what's right for me; I only know and I know there is something about Allie that I can't live without which is exactly why I am going to ask her to come back to 'Burgh with me.

My nerves were getting to me as I began to contradict every idea I thought and every move I made. What if she doesn't want to come to Pittsburgh with me? What if she doesn't feel the way I feel about her? What if this is all revenge for leaving her the first time?

I rubbed my eyes, hoping to erase all thought of losing Allie because of my idiocy.

I felt something for Allie that I have never felt with anyone else before. Something that cannot be described with words nor can it be portrayed with actions; it was something I felt with all my heart. My eyes fell to my lap but returned to find her standing there. She was wearing jeans and a black hoodie with her glossy hair in a high bun; I've never seen her look so beautiful.

A smile grew on her pale face as I got onto my feet and took steps towards her. I was inches from her body when I brought my hand up to her face. She rested her cheek into my palm before whispering, "Hi."

The corners of my mouth curled up into a smile, "Hey."

I stared into her sky blue eyes, letting my body guide us through the exit still holding onto her.

**SPV**

"Turn here," I pointed to the hidden parking lot of the hotel. She parked the car into the dark lot and was out of the car before I could loosen my seat belt.

Getting out of the car, I watched as she stood, gazing at the building that was my second home. "You really like it here, don't ya?" I was by her side, walking into the structure. Not letting her eyes left the building she said, "Is it that obvious?" I could see her perfect teeth expose themselves.

We walked inside, talked to the front desk and made our way to the same room.

"How is it that we always find ourselves at this hotel, in the same room?" she muttered before pulling me out of the elevator and into the room.

I laughed, grabbing onto her wrist and twisting her fragile body so that her face was inches from mine. "We can go somewhere else?" I said, pulling my mouth away from hers, teasing her. Her warm hand pushed my head forward causing our lips to collide.

She slid her hands up my chest, pushing my body away from hers. I watched as she left me standing there unsatisfied and sat on the bed. She patted the cushion next to her and said, "Let's talk."

Shit. I'm usually the one reciting those words to some poor girl who thinks she could get more from me than a one night stand. I sat on the bed next to her, ready to protest her next words. She must have seen the concern in my expression because her face went from serious to amuse.

"What?" I choked. The corners of her mouth went up into a smile, "I'm not breaking up with you, goof."

"I knew that," I muttered, regaining my strength.

Her laughter filled the hotel room, "I just wanted to talk, that's all."

"Couldn't you just say that?" I could feel my face burn red. "I did," she said.

She pressed her cool lips against my heated cheek, "Relax." She remained hovering near my cheek. I could smell her perfume on the curve of her neck as I leaned forward to hide my face. Her laughter shook her warm body.

I closed my eyes to try and piece together my next words. Should I just get it over and done with or ease into it? I felt her lips press against my ear and slowly move down to neck. My body shivered from the contact of her skin on mine.

I sucked in a long breath, "Allie, I have to ask you something" I managed to mutter, trying to cage the pleasure from her kiss. She sighed into the collar of my shirt, "Yes?"

"I'm going to have to go back to Pittsburgh tonight; I'm going to have to leave you again." I regretted the words as soon as they left my mouth. Her body cringed away from me, "That's why I think we should think of something that will, you know, make it easier for me to see you more often." Her sky blue eyes were starring out the window, isolating me. "Allie look at me," I watched as she shot me a glance.

"I want you to come to Pittsburgh with me."

**JPV**

I waited several moments before the door flew open. It was a tall, grimy man. All he had on was a white tank top which was barely covering his soiled stomach and jeans that ripped at the knees.

It took me a while to absorb his features before saying, "Hello Sir, can I speak to Allie?" His eyes narrowed, "She's not here." I took a step forward, lifted up my hand and waited for his large hand to shake it, "Nice meeting you Sir, can you tell Allie that Jack came by to see her." He let go immediately, slamming the door.

"Nice meeting you too," I said in a deep voice, trying to imitate the grumpy old man. I made my way to my car when a red car parked in the spot next to mine. I hunched over, trying to see who was in the driver's seat.

I had to look twice before realizing the woman driving wasn't Allie but an older, tenser version. She was out of the car and in my face before I could move away. "Can I help you? I paid my bills, why are you here?" I watched, shocked as she continued to stare into my eyes, not giving me room to breathe. "I just wanted to see Allie."

Her body tensed as she returned to the car, "Are you that boy she has been hanging out with?" Boy? I should have known a girl as beautiful as her would have been taken already. The passenger door flung open and out came a lean, pale boy. The boy was the one from the ice rink; he looked awful. "No, it's not him," the boy's voice was weak.

"Then who are you and why do you want my daughter?" Her sky blue eyes never left my face while I rested my hand on the chilled car, "I saw Allie at the arena when this young man got into a fight with another young boy-""Excuse me!" The boy covered his eyes with his hand, also resting his elbow on the roof of the car. The woman was at the boy's side, dragging him inside the house. "No wait! I must have mistaken him for someone else. The boy was...um, much taller than him!" I grabbed onto the boy's jacket, "Don't touch him!" the mother shrieked.

I let go of the boy and stepped away from the strained lady, "Look, I what I was saying was I saw her at the rink and I just wanted to know if she would want to go get some coffee with me." Her eyes fell to the floor, "I'm sorry for the way I reacted before, I'm just exhausted and stressed and..." The boys coughing echoed through the dead street. The ladies gaze left the floor and set on the boys cringing body.

"Is he alright?" I asked.

"Just a cold, that's all." She hurried off inside with the boy's collar in her hand.

Well, that was unexpected. I still couldn't get over how much Allie looked like, who I thought, was her mother. They both had black, polished hair that complimented their blue eyes. The only difference I could pin-point was how Allie was much taller and slimmer than her mother.

After standing in the drive-way for a long moment, I built the strength to walk to my car, open the driver's door and take a seat on the leather seats. I put the car in reverse, looked into the mirror, and watched as she exited from the blue car parked across the street.

I could hear her footsteps up the drive way as I jumped out my car, "Allie!" She let out a shriek, clutching her chest. "Didn't mean to scare you," I said through laughter.

She leaned her back on her mother's car, still clutching her chest. "What do you want?" she muttered, not looking into my eyes.

I bent over, trying to meet her gaze, "Just wanted to know if you were free." My eyes finally met hers; her makeup was smudged near the corners of both eyes, I could see the remnants of a tear drop on her cheek. "Are you okay? Have you been crying?"

She laughed and rubbed her red eyes, "I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" I asked, stepping towards her. Her body rolled off the car once my hand grabbed hers.

"Look, Jack-"

"You know what? This was a bad idea. I'm sorry," she was the one to grab onto my wrist. "No, it's not that. It's just a bad time, how about tomorrow?"


	7. Chapter 7

**SPV**

I walked into the arena and dropped my bag onto the floor; the sound echoing throughout the dome. I took a deep breath, inhaling the cool air around me. The smell of the ice and the wintry atmosphere brought back memories of my childhood. Skating down the ice to catch my father, learning to snow pile the passing kids, impressing my coaches; it was all I could remember of my past. Probably because hockey was the one thing I focused on as a kid. When my teammates were out at the movies I was at home watching hockey, when they were out on dates I was on a date with a pair of skates and a wooden stick and when they were partying on campus I was scoring goals on national television.

I never felt the rush of being a kid. I was always told to never get distracted by the temptations of life outside of hockey. Do I regret living that way? No. Would I have spent less time thinking about hockey? No, it was and still is too important to me.

Hockey is important to me. It's on my mind 24/7. And so is Allie. Allie, I thought and sighed. How could someone be so beautiful? Her blue eyes, her thick black hair and her pale skin are enough to send me over the edge. But when she parts her full, pink lips to speak, the butterflies in my stomach take flight. She was someone different; someone I wanted to be with every second of every day.

My shoulders caved in response to the previous events back home.

I had asked her to move in with me. I was positive she felt for me what I felt for her; I wasn't sure what that feeling was but I knew it was something I needed to experience with her constantly. The feeling sprung dreams. Dreams of looking into her blue eyes that was like looking out to sea.

Dreams that would no longer be possible.

I made my way towards the ice, leaving my equipment behind. I leaned on the boards and watched as the wide doors opened and a zamboni appeared from the dark garage.

Up and down, up and down, up and down. My strained eyes refused to close as the zamboni grew close to where I stood.

Her words were replaying in my mind on the plane ride over here.

Her blue eyes glued to my lips after asking her to move here with me. Her still face sent shivers up my spine, causing my hands to tremble and sweat. "Allie?" I asked, hoping she was motionless because she was too happy to form words. I was wrong.

"No."

No? My vision blurred, my heart racing, my legs trembling, I managed to escape the closing walls of the hotel room and run. Run. Is that all I do, run? Run from my Dad, run from my team, run from Allie; I'm pathetic.

"Sidney," Staalzy's voice echoed throughout the arena. He was next to me, breathing in the cool air. The corners of my mouth lifted up, forming a smile that I was certain wouldn't be convincing. "How was your mini vacation?" his voice went flat once I winced at his words.

"What happened?" he asked

"Don't worry about it," I managed to flash him a pearly white smile and walk towards the change rooms.

**APV**

'_He shoots and he scores! With five minutes left in the third period, I think it's safe to say that the Detroit red wings have defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins.'_

The game from earlier today was playing on every television in the bar. I needed to focus, get my mind off of Sidney. I needed to give Jack my full attention.

I promised him a drink and I thought it would help with the whole Pittsburgh thing. It wasn't a date, it was just a drink between strangers...who am I kidding? It's a date.

So, here we were, at a bar in the middle of the night having what I thought was an apple martini and a magnificent time. I hadn't been out to a bar for ages, especially not with a boy as attractive as this one. I was so used to seeing his blonde hair falling in his face that when he entered the bar with his hair pushed back, I knew then that I wouldn't have to worry about not being distracted. His stunning features were enough to stay glued to his face.

He was wearing dark jeans and a black V-neck shirt that dipped down low enough to tease whoever was caught staring at his chiselled chest. I looked down at my outfit and felt my face go red. I was wearing my black tights, brown ugg's, and oversized plaid shirt and addition to that I gathered the patience to even curl my thick, black hair; this man managed to make me feel as if I wore nothing but filth with his plane jeans and ordinary black shirt.

He took a seat next to me at the bar; I could smell the expensive cologne on his clothing. He ordered drinks, and began the night with an award winning smile.

He smiled constantly followed by a glimmer in his sky-blue eyes which were clouded by green and grey spots. Just looking into his dazzling eyes made me smile.

"Another drink, ma'am?" he asked, tipping his beer in my direction.

"Of course," I turned my head in search of the washrooms while he ordered the next round. "Where are the washrooms in this place?" I shouted over the music blasting above the bar.

I heard the drinks hit the wooden bar followed by his voice in my ear, "Let's dance!"

I looked into his eyes, laughing. "I don't think so," I shouted into his ear, his cologne rushing into my face.

Before I could protest, he was dragging me onto the dance floor that was already crowded by drunks. "I really don't like dancing," I shouted to him while he began to dance around me.

"C'mon, it's fun!" His hands were wrapped around my waist, pulling me against his hard body. And before I knew it, I was letting my body flow with the music.

**SPV**

"Fuck!" I shouted at the top of my lungs. My chest began to heave as my body began to tremble. How could I let this happen? How could I let my team down?

I wanted to scream! I wanted to break things! I wanted to run away! I wanted her.

I picked up my bag and threw it across the empty change room; shouting while it made its way across the room. I fell back onto the benches, put my face between my cold hands, and let go.

The big fat tears trickling down my face reassured me that I was human. Humans make mistakes. I make mistakes.

After a long moment, I got back on my feet and walked over to my bag. I stared down at my companion. "Let's go, buddy." I picked it up and walked out the vacant room and made my way towards the parking lot.

I got into my car and drove home.

I winced as the door slammed behind me. "Sidney? Is that you?" I could hear Mario walking down the stairs. "Yea, it's me. I'm going to go put my things away." I stared at him for a long moment, expecting him to make a comment about tonight's game but I was thankful he didn't. But instead he just stared at me; didn't move.

"What?" I asked.

"Nothing, Sid. Nothing." Mario shook his head and made his way back up the stairs. He was disappointed; he was disappointed because I blew the game. Because I wouldn't pass but instead I shot at open ice. Because I couldn't take hits. And because I was allowing my problems on the ice. "I'm sorry Mario," I whispered and continued to my room.

**JPV**

I wrapped my Jacket around her shoulders and watched as a smile grew on her face. "I had a great time tonight," I said. "Me too," she said still shivering from the cold. We continued to walk down the street, not saying a word. It wasn't awkward; it was nice. "I we're you crying yesterday?" I asked

She froze and glared at me with her pearl like eyes. "Yesterday? When you came running out of your car?" I continued, "You know, when-"

"Yes, I know what you're talking about!" she hissed.

I took a step back. "I'm sorry," I stuttered.

Her eyes fell to the floor as her shoulders caved in, "No, I'm sorry. My boyfriend he, uhh... he asked me to move in with him and I kind of said no."

"You said no or you kind of said no?" I asked, putting my arm around her slim shoulders. Her body shook as she let out a quiet laugh, "I said no."

"Why?" we continued walking down the dark streets. "I feel like I'm on Oprah," she said.

My laugh echoed through the empty sky, "Oprah? You couldn't have made me a man at least?" Her lips spread across her face in laughter while I removed my arm from her body. "Enough about me, I know nothing about you."

"That's not true," I reassured her. "You know my name."

"What do you do for a living?" she asked, pressing her body to mine, trying to get warm. "Wait; don't tell me...You're a...successful business man?" Sarcasm, of course.

"Actually, I work for a magazine called 'Score!' ever heard of it?"

Her posture shrunk as she rolled her eyes, "what?" I asked. "You work for a 'Hockey magazine'?" she asked.

"Yea, what's wrong with that?" I poked her in the side. She flinched and smiled my direction, "Nothing; nothing at all."

A long moment later and we were on her street, "I think I can manage from here." She began to pick up her speed and before I knew it, she was a small spec walking towards her house. She was finally inside.

I let out a breath and watched it materialize in the cold air in front of me. My heart rate was still racing from the when I smelt that vanilla perfume radiating from her wrists and long, slim neck.

Something caught my attention. It was a dark figure running out of Allie's house. "Allie?" I whispered to myself. The figure fell to the ground and began to shake. "Allie?" I said much louder, hoping the figure wouldn't respond.

It continued to tremble. I ran towards the body, "Are you alright?" I asked, expecting Allie's mother. The women's cries filled the cold night.

It was Allie.

I fell to my knees, caressing the body that shuddered under me. "What's wrong?"

She took a couple deep breaths before sitting up straight. "My brother..."

**SPV**

"Hello?" I mumbled into the phone. No one responded. I looked over at my clock which read 1:30 am. "Hello?" I said again. "Sidney?" it was a young boy, I could tell by the voice. "Yes, and who is this?" Great, Talbot probably gave my number to some kid to get back at me for putting the toy snake in his skate. "It's James, Allie's brother."

I jolted out of bed and was out my bedroom door, running down the stairs, "Is she alright?"

"I don't know, Sidney. Jack is trying to keep her calm but she won't stop crying." Jack? Is that her dad? No, it can't be she told me her parents split. Maybe a cousin?

James coughed and began speaking too fast for me to comprehend anything. "James, slow down."

"Allie came home from her date and my mom told her the news. She just ran out and started crying uncontrollably. I didn't know who else to call..."

Date?

My heart sunk into my stomach.

"I'll be there as soon as I can. Wait; what news James?"

There was a long pause before he resumed talking, "I'm dying."


	8. Chapter 8

"Where is he? Bianca, where is my son?"

"What's wrong with James? No one has told me anything!"

"Allie, are you alright? Can you hear me?"

Everyone had something to say. No peace and quiet; no time to think. Who needs silence when you can just yell at each other?

The voices were getting louder with every unanswered question. I found the strength to stand up but that was all my body was allowing me to do.

Holding back tears, I put one foot in front of the other.

"Allie, where are you going?" Away.

**

* * *

**

"Where are you going?" Mario asked as he caught me halfway out the door. I hesitated but decided it would be best if he didn't know where I was going. I will be back by Tuesday; that's when we play the Rangers.

I ran to my car, opened the door, started the engine and put my seat belt on in one motion.

I began pressing random buttons on my blackberry in hopes of getting Flower on speaker. "C'mon!" The ring of my phone filled the car. I pressed speaker, "Hello? Flower?"

"Who's this?" I could hear Veronique mumbling something French to Marc in the back ground. "Hey buddy; I need you to do me a favour?"

"En ce moment?"

"Yes, Oui! Now!"

"Alright, what do you need?" I could feel the roaring of the engine as I ran light after light. "Get me ticket flying out to Nova Scotia." My hands were trembling; I needed to get to her.

**

* * *

**

"Large, please." Shocked that I was capable of being polite to the young man, I placed a five dollar bill on the counter.

"Extra Large?" his voice broke as he took the money.

"No, Large."

"I'm sorry, what?" I could feel the blood begin to boil as my fists clenched. I was speaking loud and clear, and I was the only person in line, how is it that he couldn't hear me?

"Large!" I shouted, he flinched as he punched my order into the computer. My face grew red as I immediately regretted yelling. He handed me the coffee and ran to the back. I think I scared him.

"Allie?" his voice sent chills down my spine.

* * *

"God Damnit, Allie! Turn your fucking phone on!" I was now running through the airport trying to catch the plane that was about to leave. I shoved my phone into my jacket pocket and forced my feet to go faster. I could hear coaches voice in my head, "Skate Sid, Skate! Don't give up." _I won't coach, I promise. _

I stopped in front of the gate, showed the women my ticket and ran through the tunnel to the plane. I don't know why I was running to the still plane. It wouldn't make the plane move faster or freeze time in Canada.

Once I got to the plane, I looked down at my ticket and saw that it was first class. A laugh escaped from my mouth, putting all eyes on me. I dropped my chin to my chest and sat in my seat.

The attendants began telling the passengers what to do in case of an emergency, how to order food, to remain seated, blah blah blah! My legs were both bouncing in frustration.

To my delight, the captain came on the PA and was ready to take off. If only he could get me to Allie in half the time, he would be my hero.

* * *

"I've been looking for you everywhere," he sounded sincere. I turned my head and was greeted with his wonderful smile.

"Hi," my greeting was a whisper.

"He'll be fine, he seems like a strong kid-"

"Why are you here?" I asked, rotating my body towards his.

He looked at me with disbelief, "I mean you barely know me Jack, why are you here...helping me?"

His lips separated, exposing his white teeth, his blue eyes sparkling. "If it were me in this situation, you would do the same wouldn't you?"

"Of course," I don't think it sounded convincing and I don't know if I was trying to be convincing. After a long moment of silence, I felt it was time for me to go back to my family. "I guess I should go find my mom..." I was on both my feet when his hand was around my wrist, pulling me back down. My but hit the couch and his lips were on mine.

Both my hands were on his chest, pushing him away. Whether it was my squirming or my hands pushing his chest, he sat back. I needed to catch my breath; I needed to leave before my eyes began to tear up.

I stood up and ran to the nearest washroom, thankfully, he didn't follow.

I could taste blood. My tongue danced in my mouth to hopefully find the source of the bleeding. Shit! The blood was from my tongue. Fucker made me bite my tongue.

I let the cold water run from the tap before putting a handful in my bloody mouth. I spit out the water and watched the marble sink transform into a battle field. "Shit," I sighed.

I should be mad. I should be fucking pissed that he would even consider kissing me. But I wasn't. Instead I was numb. Even my reflection in the mirror was frozen; no expression, no passion. But why? James would be alright, I know he will be. He's a fighter.

Then why was I vacant? Why am I feeling this emptiness?

_Sidney._

I missed him terribly. I missed getting his postcards and text messages. I missed his smell, I missed his lips. I missed _him. _

I walked out of the washroom, worried his face would trigger an emotional rollercoaster. But there was something odd outside the washroom. There was a crowd around the couch Jack was sitting. I took a step towards the crowd but was stopped by two nurses running from behind me and into the heard of people.

"Break it up boys!" one nurse exclaimed.

"Call security!" Another shouted back at a doctor. What the hell is going on? A mother and her children ran towards a man down the hall, giving me enough space to squeeze into the crowd.

I gasped loudly.

"Are you alright? Did he hurt you?" Sidney shouted at me with Jack in a head lock. My blood was now on fire. I didn't know whether to scream or hurl myself at him.

"Sidney, what the fuck are you doing!"


End file.
